Welcome to my very first trip report! This report will cover my journey to Alor Setar, the capital city of Kedah which located in the Northern part of peninsular Malaysia. This trip took place on December 2016 and I was accompanied by my parents. We went there to attend a family event organized by 1 of our relatives.
In the Airport
That morning, we arrived in KLIA around 2 hours before our flight time. The airport was very crowded due to the December school holiday and a large number of Muslims went to Mecca for Umrah.
As expected, there were long queues in all MH's domestic & international check-in counters. I did the check in and collected the boarding passes alone while both of my parents waited at "Kopi Time" cafe in that departure level.
After I completed the check-in process, I joined my parents in that cafe where we had our lovely Malaysian-style breakfast. Done with breakfast, we walked passed the security check and headed towards the gate where our aircraft would be departed, Gate B8.
The gate was located almost towards the end of the Contact Pier building.
We shared the gate with passengers of another MH flight bound for Miri.
After almost 1 hour of waiting, the boarding process for our flight started. As usual, business class passengers and those who need special assistance were called to board the aircraft first followed by the rest of the passengers.
Onboard Experience
I had seat 24A which was a window seat while both of my parents had seat 24B & 24C respectively.
The contents in the seat pocket
Hello neighbors!
There were 4 crew members on duty with 2 of them in business class and the other 2 in economy. After the boarding process completed, our aircraft started to push back and moved its way to the active runway.
The safety demo was played on IFE screen while we were taxiing on the runway.
The abandoned B747 in KUL
Srilankan's A320 followed behind us
With a powerful takeoff, our aircraft was ready to go!
Within seconds, we were already airborne.
Around 15 minutes later, the inflight service began. All economy class passengers on every MH's flight which is less than 1 hour will only receive Salted Peanuts & Orange Juice. This is really a downgrade service as MH used to serve multiple types of juices such as Milo, Apple and Guava to its Y-class passengers for the same flight sectors.
The crew walked down the aisle again to collect the trash. Due to the short duration of the flight, the crew did this in a bit hurry.
The rest of the flight went uneventful. The IFE was available throughout the flight but no headset was distributed. I was more interested with the beautiful view outside.
Soon, the announcement from the cockpit informed us that we were about to land in Alor Setar shortly and our aircraft began its descent.
Alor Setar from the air.
Landing in AOR was really a wonderful experience as we were welcomed with a wide, never-ending view of green paddy fields. It was a contrast than landing experience in KUL where we were greeted with a vast view of palm trees.
Our aicraft's shadow reflected on the paddy field.
And we were safely landed.
As usual, business class passengers were invited to disembark first but it seems that many passengers in economy had no patient to get out from the aircraft quickly.
Alor Setar's Sultan Abdul Halim airport terminal.
1 last look to our aircraft.
Our luggage arrived 10 minutes later and we were good to go!
Tourism Bonus: Attractions in Alor Setar city
Although Alor Setar is such a small city, but it still offers some interesting attractions for the visitors. During our stay, we managed to visit many historical landmarks there.
Day 1
Pekan Rabu. This is a famous market that sells many traditional clothing, accessories, crafts, souvenirs, foods and local snacks. Pekan Rabu is considered a must visit attraction in Alor Setar.
We had our lunch at Pekan Rabu's foodcourt which served delicious local delicacies.
Puri bread. It was warm and tasty!
Alor Setar Tower. Known as "Menara Alor Setar" in Malay, it is the tallest structure in the city and managed by the same operator of KL Tower.
Zahir Mosque. This is the state mosque of Kedah. It was built in year 1912 and recognized as 1 of the oldest and grandest mosques in Malaysia. The black dome is its most prominent feature.
Inside Zahir Mosque.
The Big Clock Tower. This old clock tower is located near the Zahir Mosque. In the past, the clock rang when it was almost the prayer time for Muslims.
Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Gallery. This building was the former High & Session Courts of Kedah. It was converted into a gallery that houses personal collections of gifts, memorabilia, costumes and other belongings of Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, the reigning Sultan of Kedah.
Balai Nobat. It is 1 of the earliest structures in Alor Setar and was used for storing the musical instruments of "Nobat", Kedahan traditional music.
Balai Besar. Translated as "the grand hall", Balai Besar was built in year 1735 as a venue place for official royal functions and ceremonies.
Kedah Royal Museum. This museum was actually a palace for the Sultans of Kedah in the past. It was later converted into a museum and showcases various collections, histories and information on Kedah's royal families.
We had our dinner at 1 local Malay restaurant, "D' Dapur Ibuku" which literally translated as "in my mother's kitchen".
We stayed for a night in Holiday Villa hotel and these were the views of Alor Setar city from our room's window.
Day 2
On the 2nd day, we attended the function in our relative's house for few hours and the rest of the time was used to do more sightseeing in the city.
Rumah Merdeka. Meaning "Independence House" in Malay, this house was once owned by Malaysia's 1st prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra. It was then converted into a memorial and preserved some personal collections of Tunku such as his wardrobes and furniture.
Kedah State Museum. It houses a large collection of Kedah's historical, culture and royal heritages.
Tugu Pahlawan. It is a monument that erected to commemorates the contributions of local warriors.
Rumah Tok Su. It is an over 100 years old traditional Malay house which was restored from its original location and rebuilt in Alor Setar. This house was named after its final owner.
Rumah Seri Banai. Located just a short walk from Rumah Tok Su, this is another restored traditional Malay house that was rebuilt in the city. This house was named after the village where it was originally located.
Later that evening, we left for the airport to catch our flight back home to KL.
See more
Verdict
Malaysia Airlines
6.8/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew7.0
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Meal/catering5.0
Kuala Lumpur - KUL
7.8/10
Efficiency8.0
Access8.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness7.0
Alor Setar - AOR
7.5/10
Efficiency8.0
Access8.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness6.0
Conclusion
Malaysia Airlines - Another typical MH domestic flight experience. The inflight service for Y-class was not fantastic but definitely relevant due to the short flight time. The cabin crew's gestures & attitudes could be improved.
Alor Setar -Such a beautiful, nice little city. Not many tall buildings and full of traditional architecture. My only regret was I didnt managed to visit the "Mahathir's Birthplace" due to time constraints. But I do believe there will always be next time ;-)
Thank you for reading my TR. Any comment and feedback will be highly appreciated!
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Lovely flight report. Another FR on MH for domestic route. It's a nice touch to add the tourism pictures and informations about Alor Setar, good way to promote your beautiful place. I'd love to read more flight report especially on our national flag carrier, Malaysia Airlines :)
Great report, AriffAzrai!! I especially enjoyed the tourism bonus! The best part was the food! This gave me a midnight craving and I had to attack the refrigerator. ^^ I'm much of a nature lover, and loved the lush green landscapes. So many different kinds of palmtrees, like those outside the restaurant and the one that looks like a fan, next to the state museum! We don't have those in my country. :( I see that MH is struggling to recover after the crisis. The salted peanuts are much the same kind of catering I have gotten used to. I'll be looking forward to more reports from you! Thanks a lot for sharing! ^^
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5 Comments
I'd love to read more flight report especially on our national flag carrier, Malaysia Airlines :)
I'm much of a nature lover, and loved the lush green landscapes. So many different kinds of palmtrees, like those outside the restaurant and the one that looks like a fan, next to the state museum! We don't have those in my country. :(
I see that MH is struggling to recover after the crisis. The salted peanuts are much the same kind of catering I have gotten used to.
I'll be looking forward to more reports from you! Thanks a lot for sharing! ^^
May I know from which country you are coming from?
Nice pictures from KLIA, I miss the airport and Malaysia!
Stunning aerial shots. Looks like the weather was great!
Beautiful bonus at the end. Lovely pictures.
Thanks for sharing.
Have a good one, see you!
Have a good one too! =)
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